Articles Tagged Audio Basics

In my experience of teaching live sound, one of the most commonly misunderstood concepts is that of phase. The source of the misunderstanding typically derives from a confusion between the concepts of phase and polarity. So let’s take a look at these two concepts and see how they relate to live sound. The first time most people come across phase is when they’re introduced to the “phase reverse” button (denoted by a circle with a line through it at 45…
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This article is provided by The Art Of The Soundcheck. The following article is excerpted from the book “Basic Training for the Church Audio Technician” by M. Erik Matlock. As a church tech, what is your real job? It’s a question that can spark endless debates. Usually, when I ask it, I get a list of responsibilities. Various tasks and assignments that are all part of the job. Rarely do I hear the response that I want. Your job,…
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All microphones are not created equal. Cardioid, supercardioid, hypercardioid, condenser, ribbon - literally dozens of choices. (It’s enough to give you a cardioid cardiac!) In many situations, our budgets just won’t allow the top-of-the-line models in our mic cases. Meanwhile, the same questions present themselves for every show, large or small. What kind of mic(s) on the backline? What to do about the softly singing angel at lead vocal? What about the singer that can never ever stay on mic…
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If electrical wiring, from main breaker panel to outlet, consists of Romex and plastic J-boxes, an “isolated” or “technical” ground system is already in place. This is the case In most, but not all, residential wiring. However, when wiring consists of metallic conduit and J-boxes, as in most commercial buildings, an isolated safety-grounding scheme can sometimes reduce audio system noise. It is most applicable in situations where conduit may come in contact with building steel, water pipes, gas pipes, or…
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This article is provided by Gary Zandstra.com. Producing great sound in a worship service can seem as elusive as finding a soloist who always sings on key. However, this doesn’t have to be. Many factors influence the quality of sound: room acoustics, sound-system design and performance, operator experience, and quality of musical performance. Here are some practical tips on how to tie all of that together toward an optimum result. 1) Understand The Basics To get the most out…
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As I was preparing for our recent OptEQ workshop in Dallas, a few things crystallized for me, the most fundamental being “what is equalization?” If you ask 10 audio practitioners this simple question, you’re likely to get 10 different answers. In the most literal sense, equalization means to “make equal.” But make what equal? Here are some thoughts for consideration. Literal Definition In the strictest use of the term, equalization applies to the correction of minimum phase aberrations in…
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One of the main causes of RF (radio frequency) interference is intermodulation products created by our own wireless equipment. In this piece, I will outline some of the common setup and handling errors that contribute to this problem. First up is increased noise floor and intermodulation (intermod or IM) products due to transmitters being in very close proximity. If you work with a single band and just put mics up on stands every day, you might not encounter this. But…
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This article is provided by ChurchTechArts. Recently I had an experience I’ve had before. I was working on mixing down a song we did a few years ago, and I just couldn’t get it working. I do this stuff for fun now that I have more free time, and I enjoy playing with different techniques in the studio that I wouldn’t be able to do live. I had been working on the mix for quite a while, and it…
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I created a frog. It wasn’t intentional. Naturally, I’m not talking about a real frog, but look at the photo that opens this article. You’ll never read a mixing book that says, “Make the snare’s EQ curve look like a frog in water.” (If you do, stop immediately and back away.) Seriously, when it comes to snare mixing, the last place (literally) you want to be is behind the mixer. With that in mind, here are three primary factors I’ve…
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The worship audio mixer’s job is executed in the mix position during services, but success is mostly established outside the mix position prior to worship. 1) Rehearsal Music. Get whatever rehearsal music media is available to the worship team for review (legally). Learn the arrangements by listening during the week. Not only will your mixes come together quicker for each song, you’ll also anticipate things like guitar solos or false endings before they happen – not just after they’ve already…
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